Humidifier.



l E. MAXWELL j HUMIDIPIER. APPLICATION FILED T AN. 3, 1908.

Patented May 10, 1910.

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'UNITED sTATEs PATENT onirica.,

EDWARD MAXWELL, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, A'SSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM J. WALLy OF MONTREAL CANADA.Vv

HUMIDIFIER.

Jpecication of Letters Patent.

Application iled January 3, 1908. Serial No. 409,230.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD MAXWELL, of the city of Montreal, Province lof Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in Humidifiers; and I do hereby declare that the' following is a full, clear, and exact description-of the same.

My invention relates particularly to the humidifier disclosed in U. S. Patent N o. 859502 granted to Herbert J ames Page and myself, July 9th, 1907, although the parts thereof may be applied with advantage to other systems without departingfrom l'the spirit of my'invention.

The invention may be `said briefly to consist ofavaporizing device comprising a retort-jadapted to be located-'in intimate relation ywith a heat generator, an automatically operated water supply regulating device -and steam trap connected to such retort and adapted to regulate the amount of wateradmitted t0 the retort and at thev same time prevent 'the surging thereof andconsequent agitation of the valve which would' cause lthe flooding of the retort, vsuch device also serving in its capacity as a trap, to prevent the steam passing to the valve chamber.

A further feature of the invention consists of a valve operating member actuatedv by the variation in the humidity of the atmosphere in thel chamber to be humidilied and controlling the supply of water to the said water regulator and retort.

For full comprehension, however of my invention reference must be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts, and wherein- Figure l is a view illustrating my improved water regulating and vaporizing parts in vertical section, and the member for controllin the Water supply; Fig. 2 is a plan view o a portion of the retort.

he vaporizer consists of a plurality of retorts each consisting of a pipe closed at its opposite ends by a pair of caps c and d, the cap c having a tapped opening c near the bottom of the retort and the cap d a similar opening d near the to thereof, the pipe being protected by an mc oslng refracclosed vertical being laterally edge of the diminutive port tory tube c extending from one cap to the other. Pipes f and g connect the opposite ends of these retorts to headers i1,A and j the former having the water supply connected thereto and the latter the vapor conductinvn pipe lc leading therefrom to any require point of distribution (not shown). This vaporizer is located in the fire pot of a furnac'e (portions of the walls thereof are indicated at n) or otherwise in intimate relation with a heat generator.

The water supply regulator consists of a chamber 0 divided into passages 2, 3, by a vertical partition p extending from the top of the chamber to within a short distance of the bottom, the passage 2 extended to form a reservoir 1" the ioor whereof consists of a horizontal partition c extendingy completely across the passage and its extension, and such:

said horizontal partition has a diminutive intake port t centrally of the reservoir and a port u communicating' with the passageQ. The wall of this extension is of suficient depth to present a valve chamber c beneath the reser-` voir andhavi'ng its bottom closed by a screw lplug w, anda by-pass' formed in this wall communicates atits lower end with the valve chamberwhlle its upperend receives the water :supplied by the member within thecham-*l` ber to be humidified. Thepassage 3 has a discharge port 5 on a level with a point about midway of the height of the reservoir, and the upper end of such passage is plugged as at 6, while a pipe 7 connects the port 5 to the header It. A valve 6 within the chamber o is yieldingly retained seated upon the t by a spring 7 and its stem projects through such port and has riding thereon a ball float 8 which is of sufficient weight, when there is no water in the reservoir, to depress the spring and open the said port.

9 is an overflow. p

The' member actuated by the variations in the humidity of the atmosphere in the chamber to be affected, consists of a bar l0, of end-grain wood, (or other expansible material) having an eye l2 secured to its upper end and an end piece 13 of relativelj harder material secured to its lower end the upper end being pivoted to a base 14. A bell-crank lever fulcrumed upon this base has the end 13 of the bar 10 bearing upon one arm 15 thereof and its other arm 16 providedwith an adjustable thumb screw 17, while a valve 18 controlling a water pipe 19 @has a head 20.*between which and a stuffing box 21, a spring 22 bears and tends to hold the valve away from its seat. The thumb screw 17 is adjusted to locate this valve in its proper position with relation to the seat, the, scope of `variation in the length of the bar l0 being taken into careful consideration.

Operation: The operation of the apparatus is as follows :-The valve 18 being properly set, water is permitted to iiovv` through pipe 19 to the valve chamber e .of the regulator and slowly ooze through the diminutive port t into the reservoir and along the floor of the latter to the port u into the trap which it gradually floods until the ball ioat 8 is lifted and the spring 7 permitted to cause the valve 6 to close-the port t, and, if in the meantime'the member 10 has not expanded and closed the valve 18, a reserve supply of water will be collected in the por tion of the pipe between such valve and the reservoir.

If the heat to which the vaporizer is's'ubjected is suiiciently intense the water will be converted into steam as soon as it enters lthe retorts and such steam Will rise to the cham ber to Vbe humidied, and will be sup lied to a greater or less degree according to t e variations 'of the humidity in the atmosphere.

What I claim is as follows 1. In a humidifying system the combination with a retort, of a combined water supply regulator and steam trap consisting of a chamber presenting a pair of passages communicating at one end and having an overflow for establishing the level ofwater in the chamber; a humidistat; means controlled by such humidistat whereby water is supplied to one end of such chamber the other end whereof is connected to the retort, and means whereby steam is conducted from the retort.

2. In a humidifying system the combination with a retort, of a combined water supply regulator and steam trap consisting of a chamber presenting a pair of passages communicating at one end; a humldistat, means controlled by such humidistat whereby water is supplied to one end of such chamber the other end whereof is connected to the retort, and means whereby steam is conducted from the retort.

3. In a humidifying system the combination with a retort, of a water supply regulator consisting of a water vconductor communicating withythe retort; a reservoir communicating with the conductor; a valve chamber communicating with the reservoir and containing a valve controlling theicommunication -between such reservoir an chamber; means controlled by the vaporization in the `retort for operating the valve; means whereby water is supplied to the valve chamber; and means whereby steam is conducted away from the device.

l1. In a humidifying system the combination with a retort, of a combined water supply regulator and steam trap consisting of a chamber presenting a pair of passages communicating at one end; a reservoir formed by an extension of one of such passages and containing a ioat; a valve chamber communicating with the reservoir and containing a. valve coacting with the float and controlling the communication between such reservoir and conductor; means controlled by the vaporization in the retort for operating the valve; means whereby water is supplied to the valve chamber; and means whereby steam is conducted away from the device.

5. In a humidifyng system the combination with a retort, of a water conductor communicating with the retort, a unitary member consisting of a chamber divided byv a partition into two assages communicating at one end, automatic means controlling the supply of water to one ofsuch passages the other passage 4tion with a retort having a steam outlet, of

a unitary member consisting of a chamber havingan overflowand divided by a partition into t-wo passages communicating at one end5a water conductor communicating with one of such passages; andmeansfor supplying water to the .water conductor, the other passage being connected to the retort.

7. In a humidifying system the combination with a retort, of a water conductor, a unitary member consisting of a chamber having an overiiow and divided by a partition into two passages communicating at one end; automatic means controlling the supply of water to one of such passages, the other passage bein connected to the retort.

8. In a humidiying system, means for supplying water to the system comprising a wooden member adapted to expand or contract to a greater or less degree longitudinally as the atmospheric humidity varies, a water conducting pipe having a valve controlling the flow of water therethrough', such valve having an operating part disposed in line with and borne upon by the said wooden member, and an operative connection between the said member and the said operating part of the valve.

9. IIhe combination with a water conducting pipe having a valve controlling the flow of water therethrough, of means whereby the atmospheric humidity is caused to operate the valve such means consisting of a beingconnected to the retort. 6. jIn a humidiying system the combina' wooden har capable of expanding and conf In testimony whereof, I have signed by A tracting longitudinally as l the humidity name to this specification, in the presence 'of 10 vaies such bar beinglconned at one enh, two subscribing witnesses.

an means operative y connected to t e v 5 valve and disposed in line with and .con- MAXWELL' structed and arranged to be borne .upon by v Witnesses:

the free end of the said bar in the expansion WILLIAM L. Molimcr, thereof. A f FRED. J. SEARS, 

